Catherine
DeSoto earned her doctorate at the University of Missouri (Ph.D.,
2001) with specialization in Developmental Psychology and Cognitive
Neuroscience. Her principal area of research involves investigating the
influence
of hormones on both normal behavior and the expression of psychopathology,
particularly borderline personality. She is broadly interested in how brain
function affects behavior, and has done
research involving various brain imaging techniques, including ERPís, optical
imaging and MRI. Current research projects involve direct measurement
of estrogen and testosterone levels via radioimmunoassay.
Additional areas of interest are sex differences, autism, and understanding how
internal biology interacts with environmental experiences and
exposures to predict outcomes. She has published in leading peer
reviewed journals ranging from the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology,
to Clinical Toxicology, to The Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. Her
research articles have led to recognition by the Borderline
Research
Foundation, have been noted to be among the most read articles for all of
Biology, and have been
reviewed in media outlets ranging from Science to
First for Women. Dr. DeSoto is married to Robert T. Hitlan and is the mother
of four.